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-   -   Automatic Quandary - Budget of 10 Lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/146580-automatic-quandary-budget-10-lakhs.html)

Hi Folks,

I am looking for a new car - preferably AT. Here is a short background for that.

I had a 2006 Aug Indica Xeta, running perfectly well. Grossed 52k KMs without any hiccups.
I had planned to sell this in 2010 and then major property decision happened. Had to put this on back burner. Then again I was in the market to purchase new car for myself and then decision to purchase small car for my wife and Alto came home.

Now, that I have already sold off my Indica; I am in the hunt again. Here is what I have thought so far --
1. Looking at AT as I have left knee which pains especially in winters. Its not a show stopper but then AT would help me.
2. I am not at all in a hurry. I can live without car for next few months. I have other cars - Alto and Zen and two wheelers - Activa and my Red Thunderbird - for office commute. I can also rely on company bus.
3. So, if there are any good launches around the corner - say in next 6-8 months I can wait it out.
4. I have checked out Verna, Honda City, Amaze and Ertiga.
5. Verna is available in AT in both Petrol and Diesel. Leaning towards it till
6. I TD'ed new City. Diesel engine + space + excellently clean dashboard bowled me over. Only problem is it has AT + P only, and that is still a month away from launch as informed by Crystal Honda dealer in Pune. And looking at price list I have to look away from this model.
7. Brio to me looks a complete value for money - AT at less than 900k is surely a good deal with all the features I require. Only hitch again is its only in Petrol. However, biggest problem is my son has taken vow not to sit in this car. He just hates the looks of it.
8. Ertiga to me looks a complete family package and well within my budget but does not fulfill the AT criteria in any model.

So, in a nutshell
-> is there any good package with AT + D (ideally) combination?
-> are there any launches in next 2 quarters which would offer me a AT box?
-> Diesel + AT is good to have looking at fuel costs, but if not available at all; Petrol + AT would be my choice.
-> ABS is a must.
-> Not looking at i10 D-AT. Don't want hatchback. Not looking at Rapid and Vento AT. I would stay away from both VW and Skoda even if offered at 50% discount. Sorry VW and Skoda owners; but that's my opinion.
-> Ecosport AT is a tempting option but have not yet TD'ed it.
-> budget < a million INR.

Note to Moderators : Pls merge this with other thread if existing. I could not find it.

There is a complete dearth of diesel at vehicles and the first one which is available is the Verna only. If you do not want a hatchback at maybe you can try for dzire at? I think it comes in the vxi trim.

The cheapest AT + Diesel available in India is the Verna and the Top End Ex-showroom price itself is close to 12L. There is a lower variant, but still it would be well above 10L On Road.

Ecosport AT is a good choice, but will be above 10L OTR and also have heard that the AT has an infinitely long waiting period.

The other cars that comes close to satisfying your other requirements (AT, not a hatch, 10L budget, No VW/Skoda)

• Honda Amaze: a competent all rounder AT. Pretty much a Brio with a boot (best option if you absolutely cannot stretch your budget)
• Honda City CVT: Probably the best choice based on your criteria. But you will need to stretch your budget by maybe a lakh to get the SV variant.
• Sunny/Scala CVT: Probably the cheapest proper 'Sedan'. Should come under 10L with some discounts. But will not be a 'fun to drive' car especially on highways.

Thanks Arvind and Rajeevraj.

I had been on a TD spree yesterday - and the response I got from Renault is something I better not post on the forum here. I really doubt if they are taking their business seriously.

Honda CVT - As I said, I am completely bowled over by new City - though have to wait for a month more till its officially launched. Keen to do TD for that drive it out.

Didn't know D'zire also has AT. Not to keen to own but would TD it nonetheless.

Petrol + AT (in order of driving enjoyment and shift quality)

1. VW Polo / VW VENTO TSi DSG twins
2. Ford Fiesta (new) DCT Auto
3. Honda City CVT (new)
4. Nissan Sunny / Renault Scala CVT's
5. Hyundai VERNA Auto

Diesel + AT
1. Chevrolet Cruze AT used for ~ (you have to look hard, but some are available in 2nd hand market)
2. Hyundai Verna AT (new)
3. Skoda Laura AT's (used again, but very, very thorough checks are required)

Hi, I think you can go in for Verna A/T as diesel variant. In petrol you can choose between Maruti Dezire A/T, Verna A/T and Honda City A/T. All of these would fit into your budget with slight tweaks here and there.

I am glad that you choose to stay away from Skoda and VW. By opting out of these cars you have ensured that you will never become part of the threads where the existing owners are already repenting on the decision of having bought them.

My suggestion to you, would be to consider the Amaze S AT. It should land up within 8 Lacs On Road price, so you save quite a bit of cash upfront.
Moreover, it will return you a decent FE, and give you sufficient room to seat five people comfortably and a great boot, all within very compact dimensions. It also has a very refined i-VTEC engine with a five speed AT gear box.
If you can spare a bit more cash the Amaze V AT gives your Air Bags and Alloys. That lands up at around 9.2 Lacs On Road.
Nothing else in the market offers better value for money.

For 9.4-9.6 Lacs you can get a Nissan Sunny CVT, which is very frugal (15+ kmpl in city with ease), and is a Full Size Sedan. The only gripe is the dicey Nissan After Sales. But, the product is solid, although highway overtaking is not great. This IMHO is also a very VFM product.

P.S. I have the Ecosport AT which is a brilliant vehicle, but it is just not available off the shelf or within any reasonable waiting period. Hence, I am not recommending it. But, it definitely IS THE BEST kitted and refined AT in that price band, and above and below.

The Honda city is already available for test drives I guess. Please check as my friend test drove it recently.

Dzire AT comes only in VXI trim which does not have ABS or Airbags. So will not meet your criteria.

I had analyzed all the AT options below 10L and in the 10-13L range during the purchase of my Vento TSI. I had listed these down in my ownership thread. Maybe it will help

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...te-pg-3-a.html

As pointed by others, diesel AT is only available in Verna and even that will exceed your budget of 10L by quite some margin. If you are willing to opt for it then go ahead.

Out of Petrol AT cars you first need to decide what segment you want to shop in. One cannot compare Amaze and Honda city. So if you want to save money then opt for Amaze. If you are willing to pick a C+ segment Petrol AT then I will recommend you to TD all 4 of the following and pick whichever suits you best:
1. Honda City AT
2. Nissan Sunny AT
3. Ford Ecosport AT
4. Ford fiesta AT

If you are open to used cars then you can easily find a Cruze AT in your budget not more than 2-3 years old. In petrol you can again take a look at Altis or Civic AT.

It must be really hard to buy a car when there is absolutely nothing interesting out there in the market for a million bucks (which is no paltry sum)

Ergo I suggest you look in the second hand market for a Corolla or a Chevrolet Cruze. They could both come under your budget and of the D1 segment cars, they are easy to live with and maintain. :thumbs up

Thanks all for replies.

IshaanIan - I am not very keen on going to a used car market. I am always skeptical of the quality of the car and maintenance costs of 2nd hand car.

So that boils down to following options for me
1. Honda City - over budget but can consider.
2. Honda Amaze - bang on target. (Actually I meant Amaze when I wrote Brio in first post :) ). This one ticks all the boxes - enough space for 2 adults + kid most of the times plus parents when they visit us. And I save some amount from my budget. Only thing is to convince my son and wife.
3. Nissan Sunny - Good on space and budget. But looks ugly to me. Ticks all the right boxes again; only thing I am not sure about is service costs and quality.
4. Renault Scala - After my 5 mins visit to the showroom; I am confident I would not enter that shop again. Very cold reception - no one to talk to, no car to TD. Are they really selling cars there?
5. Ford Ecosport - Ticks all the boxes; may be a bit over budget. Will TD it next weekend.
6. Hyundai Verna - Available in P and D both for AT box. I am satisfied with the TD - only problem is they had only MT version for TD. So didn't exactly completed my test drive and have to do a blind booking without really getting to feel how the AT box works if I am going for Verna. Otherwise, I am satisfied however have to stretch my budget by good two lakhs.
7. Swift D'zire - I am not sure if I want that car. Looks too small to me. But would TD that in coming weekend.
8. Rapid / Vento - Would stay away from these two. No matter how good the product is; their A.S.S. horror stories would keep me away. I don't want to be "the chosen one".

three BIG questions now --
--> Are routine maintenance costs comparable to the manual cars in same segment? Verna EX AT vs Verna EX MT costs are comparable?
--> How easy or painful are AT boxes in regular as well as breakdown maintenance? Are technicians trained well or they can be a pain in; you know where.
--> Except for City and Amaze, none of the options really ignite that "first love" feeling stupid: So do I wait for another quarter or two if there are likely to be new launches? As I said, I am not at all in a hurry. If I am spending a million bucks, it better gives me value for money and satisfaction.

Suggest you wait it out for the AMTs, Maruti is betting big on these automated manual trannys (thread link).

Considering their relatively lower cost, simpler mechanicals and the fact that it can be fitted to any car, a Swift / Dzire / Ertiga Diesel + AMT is a realistic possibility.

Of course, read BHPian reviews & test-drive an AMT yourself before taking the plunge :D

With a budget of 10 lakhs or roundabouts, I would consider only Honda City and nothing else. Really do not care about the looks so much which anyway are quite good. The overall package is what will drive me towards the Honda.

My brother bought a Honda City in Mar 2008 and a Honda City again in March 2013.

I have paid more for a Toyota Corolla and a Etios than I would have paid for something else. As do so many others. They continue to pay more because they see value.

Among all the Sedan AT's the AT gearbox in the Verna is probably the oldest from a technology viewpoint. It is a 4 speed AT box and if I am not mistaken, the same box is used in AT's across their range. I would not pay 12L and buy a car that uses older technology compared to the others in the segment. Definitely do not do a blind booking without a TD.

If you are ok with a 11-12 Budget, based on your conditions, it should be the Honda City. It is new, reliable, fuel efficient, reasonable good to drive ( as per reports).

From a maintenance and reliability point of view, I do not think there will be a significant difference.

As to new offerings, as GTO mentioned, apart from the expected AMT technology from Maruti, I do not think there are any significant launches expected in the AT space this year.