[AtheK]

Originally Posted by atlantis0965

Hi Rajeev
Thanks for the reply ! Yes that's exactly what I've asked her to do .
Of course we are not in a hurry as such and like you rightly said it is going to be difficult to replicate the driving experience of the Vento Tsi ; but considering the fact that both are dual clutch transmission ; is the ecosport that very different ?
Of course the engines too have the difference of one being turbocharged while the other being NA .
Yes will see after the Test drive !
Thanks again !

Having TD'ed the Vento Tsi and Ecosport Dual CLutch, the only thing similar is the tech name for them. The ford engine is way inferior to VW and just feels like another automatic to drive, where in DSG is in a different league. She/You will probably downright reject the ecosport after 5 minutes in the car. You have already been spoilt with one of the best engine in this segment.

[atlantis0965]

Hello
Thanks ece2k2; will look into that during the test drive ; Infact planning to do the test drive mainly on the road which is really the reason which is making me think about a change in the car ! ( don't know whether it's funny or stupid because ideally one can just take another route ; but I don't want to because then a 2km ride becomes a 10-14km .Also I've almost waited for more than a year now to see if the govt will do something about the road and I don't see anything happening )

Thanks AtheK
Yes I know comparing the engines is pointless ; again it just makes you wonder why can't FORD give the DCT mated to its eco-boost engine ! That will probably be a much closer comparison !
Anyways like I had mentioned earlier too; the scales haven't exactly tipped into the ecosport's favour.
I am also wondering if it would be possible to get the rough road package which some others have installed in their GT TSI vehicles; but I guess I'll discuss that in the respective thread .
Thanks again !

[toofanwheels]

Hi folks.
I am looking to buy a new car with an AT in the next 3-4 months.
Having driven Marutis and Hyundais all my life so far, I am not really in a mood to purchase another one from the same stable/s. Hence Ciaz & Verna AT have been ruled out initially.

With this in mind, I have taken the following test drives and here are my impressions (will keep adding as I do more test drives):

1) Honda Jazz- very spacious, cabin design is many times pleasant & refined, compared to the hoi-polloi class (read Hyundais & Marutis). AT though is very pricey at 9.4L on road in Mumbai (price given by Linkway Honda). For a 1.2litre engine, and ultimately a hatch, I feel that this price point is not justified. Period

2) City SV/VX- again very spacious, good cabin design and ergonomics, good aesthetics but drives very sedately. Was an underwhelming feeling- more so accentuated by it being massively overpriced v/s the similar variant's MT models. SV costs a whopping 12L on road and VX costs a massive 14L on road Mumbai (quotes by Solitaire Honda/Linkway Honda). SV & VX point by point comparison shows an absence of 17 small and big features in the SV AT variant. Not value for money.

3) Ford Ecosport- I have driven ES diesel MT very thoroughly last year on my 17-day road trip to Leh. I was expecting some good performance from the petrol mill mated to an AT, but it was just average & sedate (though better than Honda). Additionally, I and my family memebers felt that the space/comfort are not that great in ES and yet it costs as much as a City SV AT on road in Mumbai (12.28L quoted by SC Ford). Not value for money again !

4) Ford Aspire AT- very reluctantly I tried the Aspire AT (Titanium) and was pleasantly surprised . This is the only AT car that I tested, which seemed fun to drive. I literally felt that the engine understood each of my foot tap/s on the gas pedal and behaved accordingly. DCT gear box seems very slick and reliable (Ford gives a 10 year/240K kms warranty on it). On the downside, family members complained of the lesser space (note lesser- not the absolute lack of it) and the beige interiors being a bit difficult to keep squeaky clean. Apart from that, there are no major negatives. This car being a segment lower, gives most of what a City gives and it's much cheaper. SC Ford quoted 9.53L on road Mumbai, and gave a first year insurance free (its a sham, but still), extended warranty free and a few accessories too. All in all, it costs 9L on road.

Now this was about the cars- let me talk about the overall experience. Honestly, I found Honda showrooms/reps to be quite snobbish. I am a strong believer in VFM buys and hence while discussing the cars, did ask Honda sales reps about any discount/offers. To my dismay, one of the reps actually told me "Sir, discount ki toh baat tak mat karna" , which I found ot be extremely rude. I dont say that I should be "entitled" to a discount, but is this the way to talk to a customer my dear Honda? Smacks of arrogance ! Also, I got one of the most pathetic quotes for the trade-in value of my 5 year old Wagon R from both the Honda dealerships.

On the other hand, the Ford dealers were extremely coordial, explained me the best way to drive using an AT, gave me discounts after a bit of bargaining (which is fair enought) and also gave me one of the best trade-in value of my Wagon R.

I will be test driving other options also in the coming weeks, but I have heard loads of horror stories about VW/Skoda's DSG200 AT gearbox and hence honestly I am a bit apprehensive to even try it. But then I realise that I am seriously narrowing my choices.

Mods & auto-gurus, please help me in deciding the right choicen by generously giving your inputs.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by toofanwheels

Hi folks.
I am looking to buy a new car with an AT in the next 3-4 months.
Having driven Marutis and Hyundais all my life so far, I am not really in a mood to purchase another one from the same stable/s. Hence Ciaz & Verna AT have been ruled out initially.

4) Ford Aspire AT- very reluctantly I tried the Aspire AT (Titanium) and was pleasantly surprised . This is the only AT car that I tested, which seemed fun to drive. I literally felt that the engine understood each of my foot tap/s on the gas pedal and behaved accordingly. DCT gear box seems very slick and reliable (Ford gives a 10 year/240K kms warranty on it).

I will be test driving other options also in the coming weeks, but I have heard loads of horror stories about VW/Skoda's DSG200 AT gearbox and hence honestly I am a bit apprehensive to even try it. But then I realise that I am seriously narrowing my choices.

Mods & auto-gurus, please help me in deciding the right choicen by generously giving your inputs.

From your post, my understanding is that you value the Fun to Drive factor. The Aspire is definitely a good choice and great value for money. From this list, that would be my choice. It is well loaded, performs well and comes at a good price point. Only negative is the lack of the typical Ford build quality.

Apart from this would strongly recommend you to try the Vento TSI. If you found the Aspire performance good, the Vento TSI should really satisfy you. The DSG issue is a worry and will definitely remain so, but we have not heard of any major failure in the Polo/Vento TSI until now (more than 2 years since launch). If you want a high performance, solidly built AT sedan, then the Vento TSI comes out tops (Not recommending the Polo since the rear space is a requirement).

You can also have a look at the Zest AMT. Being a diesel, in spite of being an AMT, it does perform pretty well.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by D4D

Posting on behalf of my uncle who's driving an '05 pre-owned Getz 1.3.

He wants to upgrade to a petrol AT new sedan(not compact sedan). Budget being around 12 lakh INR on road in Chennai.

After 13 months and flood damaging his Getz(Repair estimate of 83k), he got himself a City VX CVT which was delivered 6 days ago.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by toofanwheels

Hence Ciaz & Verna AT have been ruled out initially.

Not like you'll be missing much anyway.

1) Honda Jazz

Jazz is expensive and overpriced when you see a city with a larger engine and more space costs only 2.5 lakh extra

2) City SV/VX

The best choice in the segment. The City is an overall winner, though it might not be the best handler

3) Ford Ecosport

It's too expensive and too cramped for the price.

4) Ford Aspire AT

If space is a priority, it's not a contender. Else, it's great VFM

I will be test driving other options also in the coming weeks, but I have heard loads of horror stories about VW/Skoda's DSG200 AT gearbox

VW maybe avoided.
You could check out Creta AT(expensive), Baleno CVT, BR-V CVT (will most likely be launched) and there are rumors that the facelifted Duster will come with an AMT.

Note: I don't know any details about the Duster.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by toofanwheels

I was expecting some good performance from the petrol mill mated to an AT, but it was just average & sedate (though better than Honda).
..

4) Ford Aspire AT- very reluctantly I tried the Aspire AT (Titanium) and was pleasantly surprised . This is the only AT car that I tested, which seemed fun to drive. I literally felt that the engine understood each of my foot tap/s on the gas pedal and behaved accordingly. DCT gear box seems very slick and reliable (Ford gives a 10 year/240K kms warranty on it).

Please note engine spec for the DCT versions across Ecosport, Aspire and Figo are the same. Ecosport may feel slower because, its heavier than the other two. Also note, its not 10 years warranty on the DCT, but 2 years.

Coming to others, if you need the space, Jazz is the option. But from a power/performance point of view, Aspire makes more sense with some compromise on space. (Not including the VW into equation).

[jampot]

This is my first post, so forgive my ignorance if I'm repeating something already asked before.

I'm driving a pre-owned Wagon-R VXi (my first car) since 2007, which reads 58k on odo, of which I have driven 54k. I'm not so called an enthusiast but I love being behind the wheels, especially on highways. I've taken my Wagon-R to its limits a few times, but now I keep it well within its limits.

My last outstation trip convinced me to look for a better highway cruiser. So, here I am looking to upgrade to something I plan to keep for 7-8 years at least, with following in mind:

Better safety: Must be a modern chassis with better safety standards (airbags, ABS, NCAP).

Spacious: Should have comfortable backseat with decent legroom/shoulder-room to accommodate occasional 5th passenger. My 2004 model Wagon-R is officially a 4-seater with only two seat-belts in the back. Incidentally, my wife sat in the backseat of Celerio and Liva and she was OK with the space on both (even though they don't score much on other areas).

Comfort/Handling: Should have decent suspension to handle city potholes and also inspire confidence in triple digit speed on highway. Even though my monthly run these days is <500km, mostly in city, I plan to make more outstation trips from this year. Secondly, being used to high-seating position for 9 years I can't change to a low-seating ones like i20, Polo, Baleno, etc. Also, I can do with better NVH. In triple digit speed I can't hear the speakers in Wagon-R

Mileage: Not a big concern; I'm used to about 11 in my Wagon-R, so I guess it can only get better from here.

Budget: I can spend upto 10L on-road although it's not a hard-limit. This will be purchased by my company (I'm the owner), so I can stretch it if justified. But it must be VFM.

Pre-owned vs new: Being value conscious, I wanted to go for a pre-owned like last time. But our CA is advising against it.

MT vs AT: This is a bit tricky. For last one year or so, I get mild pain in my right knee whenever I drive more than an hour in city traffic. Hence, I was contemplating an automatic, thinking it will ease the pain a bit. But after couple of short test drives in automatic I am not so sure. Planning to take a longer test drive. On someone's suggestion I'm trying a knee cap for past one week, which is easing the strain somewhat. So, I'm bit confused here. I'd like to hear from fellow Bhpians on their perspective.

I've been thinking about it almost a month now. I am not sure if I should go for spacious hatchback, compact sedan/SUV or a crossover. Heck I'm not even sure if I'm asking the right question!Ke

Can someone help me?

[noopster]

Your post didn't specify petrol or diesel so I am assuming petrol (there are already very good threads in diesel cars in the 10L range).
I am a little confused because you posted in the sedans section but listed only hatchbacks in your list. Then I read the bit at the end and realised you shared my confusion!
If you ask me, you need a decent hatch. Adding a boot is a license to add 1-2L to the price that in my opinion are better spent elsewhere. Polo GT Tsi would be top of my list though you did seem to rule it out with that statement about low driving position. Trust me it won't be a big factor adjusting from a tall boy design to regular. Also look at the Jazz (MT or CVT) and the Ecosport petrol MT or AT.
If seating position does mean that much, TD the KUV100 or Kwid.
I think the best advice I can give is rid yourself of preconceived notions and go TD every car in your budget even if it doesn't tick all the boxes. Good luck!

[Aakarsh]

Hello Jampot!
A very warm welcome to the team.

I think you have a very less running so undoubtedly it should be a petrol. 10 lacs is a very decent budget for an all-rounder kind of car. I would suggest you to have a look on Aspire top end varient. No compromises on safety features ( 6 airbags, ABS etc), looks good and easy to maintain. I have a first hand experience of both Maruti and Ford, the service costs are more-or-less similar.

But if I had to buy a new car this year, I would have waited for upcoming Tata Nexon as I am in love with that car. You can search for the dedicated thread on Nexon using the search option.

[Latheesh]

Take a test drive of Honda Jazz Petrol MT or AT and see if it meets your requirement. You may also check S-Cross as well.

[jampot]

Originally Posted by noopster

Your post didn't specify petrol or diesel so I am assuming petrol (there are already very good threads in diesel cars in the 10L range).
I am a little confused because you posted in the sedans section but listed only hatchbacks in your list. Then I read the bit at the end and realised you shared my confusion!
If you ask me, you need a decent hatch.

Thanks for the inputs. I didn't mention the fuel preference since I don't have any. And your assesment is correct that a hatch would do my job. But I'm not someone who changes car often, so I'm hoping a CS will take care of my future needs.

My reference to i20 and new Baleno was only in the context of seating position, it was too low for my liking. I'm yet to sit in a Polo but the reviews specifically mentioned it as a low seating.

Originally Posted by noopster

I think the best advice I can give is rid yourself of preconceived notions and go TD every car in your budget even if it doesn't tick all the boxes. Good luck!

I think this is a very good suggestion to get more clarity in my thoughts.

Originally Posted by Aakarsh

I would suggest you to have a look on Aspire top end varient. No compromises on safety features ( 6 airbags, ABS etc), looks good and easy to maintain.

But if I had to buy a new car this year, I would have waited for upcoming Tata Nexon as I am in love with that car. You can search for the dedicated thread on Nexon using the search option.

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Take a test drive of Honda Jazz Petrol MT or AT and see if it meets your requirement. You may also check S-Cross as well.

Actually I started reading reviews on TB keeping automatic CS as my need. I liked the value proposition of Zest diesel AMT as well as the new Jazz CVT. Although Zest lacks NCAP ratings Tata is known to make strong chassis. I did test drive both of them, but I didn't like the turbo lag in both. Perhaps it requires a change in driving style to like them.

I did come across Figo Aspire DCT as a better VFM package for my needs (currently the flavor of the week). I liked the brief TD of Figo DCT (Aspire was not available for TD). After reading raving reviews I also TD the Figo TDCi and was blown by the pickup. While at the showroom I also looked at the EcoSport and felt it is reasonably priced, but yet to take a TD.

Thanks for suggesting Nexon, but it is expected next year which is too late. I want to get rid of my Wagon-R soon.

[IshaanIan]

S-Cross suits your requirements to the T if you don't want a diesel, then the Avventura T-Jet should be an absolute blast if you can get used to the ergonomics and slightly less roomy rear bench. If you are looking into the used market, you cannot go wrong with a CR-V.

[nndp87]

Hi,

I would suggest you to Test Drive Mahindra TUV 3OO. Looking at your requirements TUV3OO almost ticks all the boxes.

1. Even Base Model of TUV 3OO is loaded Airbags & ABS.
2. Both first & second row is very spacious. Third row is quite comfortable for short journeys say 200 to 300 km on decent roads. When third row is folded, you will get loads of space for luggage.
3. It is very practical vehicle for city commuting, However when you take it out on highway, it’s a cruiser up to 110kmph to 120kmph, beyond that you would be disappointed, but in my view 120kmph is more than enough.
4. You mentioned driving position, it matches your requirement perfectly, TUV 3OO offers tall and commanding driving position
5. When you are driving a TUV 3OO on highways cruise at 100 kmph and you will be happy with ride and fuel economy as well. Infact more than happy in Fuel Economy Department, small 1.5 Diesel Engine will definitely give you an overall mileage of 15kmpl.
6. It is well within your budget.
7. Surprisingly there is an option for Automatic transmission as well.
8. Rear Wheel Drive will improve driveability especially on long mountain trips
Apart from this lots of benefits.
1. At the price of High End Hatchbacks and Sedan, you will get to drive SUV / UV which has strong built quality and excellent road presence. MHawk engines have already proven their long term durability in Scorpio.
2. Apart from this there is ECO Mode for city driving which helps in improving mileage, infotainment system which gives lot of relevant information.
3. 3 years warranty which can be extended to 5 years.

Only negative in my view is average and bit bouncy ride quality in bad roads. In diesel segment given the price range TUV 3OO is definitely value for money. In my view this is one of those car which can be driven anywhere across the country, especially roads less travelled. Another option from Mahindra is KUV1OO, however the engine of KUV1OO is quite small and it is more meant for city and occasional weekend excursions.

I would suggest you to go through the review TUV 3OO on Team – BHP, it will really help you in decision making and it will also give you comparison with numerous other options in the same segment.

[Rajeevraj]

10L with flexibility to extend would mean a lot of cars. From a compact suv /higher seating position perspective, first car that came to mind was the Scross, followed by the Ecosport. The upcoming Vitara Brezza would also suit your needs. The TUV300! Is another choice. So is the Creta. Although only the Ecosport comes in petrol and AT. Creta comes in petrol but not AT and not in top end.

You also have a long list of premium hatches and compact sedans. Most of which will satisfy majority of your requirements.

In addition since you are ok with some stretch of budget, full sedans like Ciaz and Rapid also come into the picture

As noopster mentioned, dont think you need to be too constrained with your choices due to seating position. Should be an easy adjustment.Cars like Polo and Baleno are not that low when compared to wagon r.

In summary it is difficult to recommend 1or 2 cars. Suggest you look at the compact suv's followed by the hatches and sedans and come up with a shortlist of 4-5 cars.

Edit: if you are already having knee pain, would recommend looking more closely at AT options. Traffic is only going to get worse.